Journalists

Strong women are hot! So when a book crosses your path about a no-nonsense DEA agent and a hard hitting investigative journalist well you have my attention. Read I must!

DEA Agent Dale Nelson has had a rough year. This former military turned law enforcement officer knows all about pain and loss. Her wife and lover of ten years, Maria, was gunned down and savagely killed as she picked up the morning paper. Dale and Maria had dedicated their lives to serving their country. A drug cartel that was angered by Maria trying their case in federal court made them suffer the ultimate sacrifice. Now Dale must forge on, and she will stop at nothing to find the killers and make them pay.

Lindsey Ryan finds the truth no matter what. This is her job and she is the best. She has toured the world finding stories and exposing them. Recently back from a tour in Afghanistan where she exposed the horrors of war to the people back home, she is less than pleased with being sent to Dallas for a fluff piece on the DEA. Little does she know that everything for her will change when she meets the dark and mysterious Agent Dale Nelson.

This is the second in the Lone Star Law Series. The books follow the inter-working of drug cartels, their families, US Attorneys and the DEA all involved in this fascinating web of crimes and whodunits. I’ll be honest I did not read the first one. Sometimes I like to pass on books set in my home state because I am sometimes appalled by characterizations of Texans. Taite being a Texan herself usually does a good job with the portrayal but you can only have so many cowboy wearing boot characters in my opinion. I promise we don’t all wear these (ladies especially not with a business suit). So, I passed on it. This one I am glad I didn’t. It was a really interesting story and the characters had a nice chemistry. Lindsey is a really cool character with a lot of personality and I enjoyed Dale’s subtle vulnerability. The ending was rushed, as it sometimes can be. In my humble opinion it needed about three more chapters to really round out the story, but hey what can you do. Overall nice read, and I look forward to the next is the series.

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Whoa, wow, awesome! These are some of the adjectives that may fly out of your mouth as you finish The Red Files by Lee Winter. What an amazing book. Ms. Winter did everything right with this one. The mystery is multi-layered, the characters are fascinating and tenacious. Oh yeah, the romance is pretty damn good too! To say I was blown away would be an understatement.

Lauren King is a journalist for the LA Centennial. She writes about the celebrities glittering the screens of Hollywood, and what parties the who’s-who are attending. She has zero desire to do this type of frivolous reporting. Lauren is an ambitious investigative reporter who is chomping at the bit to get the go ahead to report real news. Lauren is smart, thoughtful and fearless.

Catherine Ayers is a blue blooded, ex-Washington bureau chief. She has been abused by the good-ol boy club that runs politics. She was forced out of DC by a political maneuver that took her career and all her supposed friends. Ayers is now being forced to suffer out her the remainder of her contract by being the Centennial’s gossip page reporter. Catherine is vicious, cold and has a tongue that will slash her foes to threads. She is also extraordinarily intelligent, honest and at the perfect moments, she is tender.

Catherine and Lauren are like oil and water. These two get extreme pleasure out of making the other one squirm. It is delightful! They treat each other as arch rivals. Both of these women are being held back career wise, so they use the other as their scratching post. Claws out! Their banter is legendary, quick wit that is not only humorous, but also very smart. There were times the barbs they threw at each other caused me to wince, but every time they redeemed themselves.

The meat of the book is a much-layered mystery involving a start-up corporation and with a big brother complex. I won’t go to any details, I definitely do not want to ruin this for any would-be readers. The story is so good! This is fast paced novel, by a great storyteller. The book is the perfect length, I never felt like we were rushing to wrap it up and put a bow on it. This book is solid gold.